About

Mad Birders is an informal group of birding enthusiasts of Vermont’s Mad River Valley and adjacent areas.

Contact Us

We are happy to answer your questions or hear your comments at madbirders.org.

Please Join Us!

Consider becoming a member of Mad Birders. Annual membership dues are $15 for individuals or $20 per family. This entitles you to join our bird walks free of charge and to receive a copy of Birdwatching in Mad River Valley, and you will know that you are supporting our local birding activities!All membership dues are used to support our activities (speaker fees, for example), printing and costs associated with maintaining our listserv and website. Please send your membership check made out to Mad Birders to Nancy Turner, 715 East Rd, Waitsfield, VT 05673.

Our History

Mad Birders formed in the summer of 2004 after a couple of informal walks along the Mad River Path. That initial group has now grown to over sixty members. Mad Birders includes and encourages members of all ages and birding abilities.We regularly communicate via an email-based listserv where Mad Birders share backyard and local bird sightings and news of birding events directly with each other. See the Lists page on this website for information on how to join our lively discussions of local bird sightings.Activities we sponsor include:
Valley bird walks led by group members
Great Backyard Bird Count in February
Bird related talks by bird experts
Christmas Bird Count in December

Where We Bird & What We See!

A pamphlet entitled “Birdwatching in the Mad River Valley” compiles a list of the birding hotspots and common birds found there. We are blessed with a variety of habitats from forested mountaintops to lush grasslands and agricultural fields along the Mad River valley floor.In the summer, birders have the opportunity to see many neotropical migrants in their breeding grounds. Some of the exciting birds we see are: Bicknell’s Thrush, many species of warblers, American Woodcock, Bobolink, Savannah Sparrow, Alder and Willow Flycatcher, to name a few.Year round residents include: Black-capped Chickadee, Pileated, Downy, and Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jay, Brown Creeper, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Wild Turkeys, Dark-eyed Junco, Barred Owl.In the winter look for Bohemian Waxwings, Common Redpolls, American Tree Sparrows, Pine Grosbeaks, Snow Buntings, all have wandered south for a somewhat warmer climate.During spring and fall migration, we enjoy many species passing through on their way to breeding or wintering grounds.